Ping-pong table with swing top board

ABSTRACT

A Ping-pong table unit, forming one-half of a Ping-pong table and designed for use with an identical Ping-pong table unit to constitute a complete Ping-pong table, comprises a table top board pivotally mounted on main supporting legs forming an under frame provided with castors. Supplementary legs have respective adjusters on the lower ends thereof and their upper ends are pivotally connected to the lower surface of the top board. Connecting rods or links extend between the main legs and the supplementary legs, and folding link pairs connect the supporting main legs to the top board.

United States Patent 1191 Unno [111 3,823,938 1451 July 16, 1974 PlNG-PONG TABLE WITH SWING TOP BOARD [76] Inventor: Yoshio Unno, No. 9-10-3D,

4-chome, Higashi Nakano, Tokyo, Japan [22] Filed: Jan. 12, I973 [21] Appl. No.: 322,935

[52] US. Cl. 273/30, 108/112 [51] Int. Cl A63b 39/00 [58] Field of Search 273/30; 108/6, 9, 111,

l08/112,1l5,ll6,l17,119, 121,160,113

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,578,826 12/1951 Mrofka 108/121 X 3,351,029 l1/l967 'Bue 108/112 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,280,051 ll/l96l France 108/113 Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Theatrice Brown Attorney, Agent, or Firm-McGlcw and Tuttle [57] ABSTRACT 6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures FIG. 2

FIG.

PATENTEDJUL 1 61974 PATENTEDJULI 61924 FIG.4v

sum a nr 2 FIG. 3

' FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF INVENTION The present invention relates to a Ping-pong table composed of a pair of table units to be assembled together for playing table tennis and to be separated from each other for storing away conveniently by swinging the top board to the upright position.

Hitherto known Ping-pong tables of this type having four main supporting legs fixed by connecting links and a stationary top board mounted securely on the supporting legs is so bulky in size that it takes extensive space in a domestic house or even in a gymnasium when the table is not used for playing or is to be stored.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is aimed at eliminating such inconvenience characteristic of conventional Ping pong tables having a stationary top board, and aims to provide very convenient Ping-pong table units readily assembled together for playing and easily collapsible for storing in a very small space and thus suitable to be kept in a room of a domestic house. Moreover, a table unit of this invention can serve as an exercise table for one player to be well-trained, by bringing one table unit, the top board of which is pivoted upright to form a screen, up near to the other table unit having its top board levelled or horizontal.

A Ping-pong table is formed by a pair of table units of the invention assembled together for playing tabletennis.

Each table unit comprises a pair of laterally spaced elongated frame members and a pair of main support legs each secured to a respective frame member adjacent the mid-point of the latter. A table top, having a width equal to that of a Ping-pong playing surface and a length equal to one-half that of such playing surface, is pivotally mounted, at pivot axis intermediate its ends, on the upper ends of the main support legs. Casters support the elongated frame members on a floor or the like. Respective pairs of pivotally interconnected first links connect the main support legs, at pivot points thereon, to the table top at first pivot points on the table top spaced from the pivot axis toward one end edge of the table top a distance such that, when the table top is swung to the horizontal position, the pairs of links are fully extended. This distance is less than the height of the pivot axis above the elongated frame members.

A pair of supplementary legs are pivotally secured at their upper ends to second pivot points on the table top adjacent the opposite end edge of the latter, and have a length substantially equal to the height of the table top above a support surface when the table top is horizontal. Respective second links connect the supplementary legs, at pivot points thereon, to the pivot points on the main support legs, and extend substantially horizontally when the table top is swung to the horizontal position. The second pivot points are spaced from the pivot axisa distance such that, when the table top is swung to a vertical position, with folding of the first links, the supplementary legs and the second links are aligned vertically with the main support legs.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings showing, by way of example, a form of embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front view of a Ping-pong table unit according to the present invention showing the top board swung upright for storing.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the Ping-pong table unit showing the top board in level position to be ready for playmg.

FIG. 3 is an elevation view, partly in section, of a supplementary leg to a larger scale.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT According to the embodiment represented in FIGS. 1 and 2, a table unit forming one-half of a Ping-pong table comprises a table top board 1 pivotally mounted at nearly the center ofthe lower surface thereof on the top ends of supporting main legs 2 by bolts and nuts 20, as shown in FIG. 3, to be capable of swinging upright, and pivotally fixed atone marginal lower surface thereof to the top ends of supplementary legs 4. Respective pairs of pivotally interconnected'first links 5 connect main support legs 2, at pivot points 12 thereon, to table top 1 at first pivot points 13 on table top 1. Pivot points l3 are spaced from the pivot axis formed by bolts and nuts 20 toward one end edge of table top 1 a distance such that, when table top 1 is swung to the horizontal position shown in FIG. 2, the pairs of links 5 are fully extended. The distance between pivot axis 20 and first pivot point 13 is less than the height of pivot axis 20 above a supporting frame for main support legs 2. This supporting frame comprises a pair of laterally spaced elongated frame members 6 supported on casters at each end thereof. Main legs 2 extend upwardly from frame members 6 substantially vertically,

- and are rigidly secured thereto and 'are interconnected,

just above frame members 6, by a cross rod or bar 8. Bar 8 may be inserted into legs 2 and glued therein.

The lower end of each supplementary leg 4 has a height adjuster 3 for stable level positioning of the table 1 unit. Each supplementary leg 4 has a link 9 pivotally connected thereto at a pivot point 14, the other end of link 9 being pivotally connected to a respective main support leg 2 at the pivot point 12 thereon.

The upper ends of main legs 2 are interconnected by an angle cross section iron 10, the connection being made by the bolts and nuts 20 constituting the pivot axis of tabletop 1. The angle iron member 10 is screwed tightly to the lower surface of table top 1 at a point adjacent the mid-point of the length of table top 1, for easy swinging movement of table top 1.

The top ends of the supplementary legs 4 are also interconnected with each other, through an angled iron piece 11 at the upper ends thereof, by bolts and nuts 21 and the iron piece 21 is screwed tightly to the lower surface of the top board -1 adjacent an end edge thereof. When table top 1 is swung to'the vertical position shown in broken lines in FIG. 2, links 5 fold inwardly and links 9 fold into vertical alignment with legs 4 which are then vertically aligned with main support tary legs 4 and links 9 are aligned vertically with main support legs 2.

Castors 7 mounted on the lower surfaces of the under frame members 6 serve for convenient and easy displacement of the table unit. I

What is claimed is:

1. A Ping-pong table unit forming one-half of a Pingpong table and designed for use with an identical Pingpong table unit to constitute a complete Ping-pong table, said table unit comprising, in combination, a pair of laterally spaced elongated frame members; a pair of main support legs eachsecured to a respective elongated frame member to extend vertically therefrom; a table top, having a width equal to that of a Ping-pong table playing surface and a length equal to one-half that of such playing surface, pivotally mounted, at a pivot axis intermediate its ends, on the upper ends of said main support legs; respective pairs of pivotally interconnected first links connecting said main support legs, at pivot points thereon, to said table top at first pivot points on said table top spaced from said pivot axis toward one edge of said table top a distance such that, when said table top is swung to the horizontal position,

said pairs of links are fully extended; a pair of supplementary legs pivotally secured at their upper ends to second pivot points on said table top adjacent the opposite end edge thereof, said supplementary legs having a' length substantially equal to'the height of said table top above a support surface when said table top is horizontal; and respective second links connecting said supplementary legs, at pivot points thereon, to said pivot points on said main support legs; said second links extending substantially horizontally when said table top is swung to the horizontal position; said second pivot points being spaced from said pivot axis a distance such that, when said table top is swung to a vertical position,

with folding of said first links, said supplementary legs and said second links are aligned vertically with said main support legs.

2. A Ping-pong table unit, as claimed in claim 1, including casters at each end of each elongated frame member supporting the associated frame member.

3. A Ping-pong table unit, as claimed in claim 1, in which the distance between said pivot axis and said first pivot points on said table top is less than the height of said pivot axis above said elongated frame members.

4. A Ping-pong table unit, as claimed in claim 1, including respective angle irons interconnecting the upper ends of said main support legs and the upper ends of said supplementary legs, each angle iron extending transversely of the under surface of said table top and being secured to said table top; and pivot bolts connecting each leg to the associated angle iron.

5. A Ping-pong table unit, as claimed in claim 4, including a cross member extending between and rigidly connected to said main support legs adjacent the lower ends thereof.

6. A Ping-pong table unit, as claimed in claim 1, in which said main support legs are secured to said elongated frame members substantially at the mid-points of the latter. 

1. A Ping-pong table unit forming one-half of a Ping-pong table and designed for use with an identical Ping-pong table unit to constitute a complete Ping-pong table, said table unit comprising, in combination, a pair of laterally spaced elongated frame members; a pair of main support legs each secured to a respective elongated frame member to extend vertically therefrom; a table top, having a width equal to that of a Ping-pong table playing surface and a length equal to one-half that of such playing surface, pivotally mounted, at a pivot axis intermediate its ends, on the upper ends of said main support legs; respective pairs of pivotally interconnected first links connecting said main support legs, at pivot points thereon, to said table top at first pivot points on said table top spaced from said pivot axis toward one edge of said table top a distance such that, when said table top is swung to the horizontal position, said pairs of links are fully extended; a pair of supplementary legs pivotally secured at their upper ends to second pivot points on said table top adjacent the opposite end edge thereof, said supplementary legs having a length substantially equal to the height of said table top above a support surface when said table top is horizontal; and respective second links connecting said supplementary legs, at pivot points thereon, to said pivot points on said main support legs; said second links extending substantially horizontally when said table top is swung to the horizontal position; said second pivot points being spaced from said pivot axis a distance such that, when said table top is swung to a vertical position, with folding of said first links, said supplementary legs and said second links are aligned vertically with said main support legs.
 2. A Ping-pong table unit, as claimed in claim 1, including casters at each end of each elongated frame member supporting the associated frame member.
 3. A Ping-pong table unit, as claimed in claim 1, in which the distance between said pivot axis and said first pivot points on said table top is less than the height of said pivot axis above said elongated frame members.
 4. A Ping-pong table unit, as claimed in claim 1, including respective angle irons interconnecting the upper ends of said main support legs and the upper ends of said supplementary legs, each angle iron extending transversely of the under surface of said table top and being secured to said table top; and pivot bolts connecting each leg to the associated angle iron.
 5. A Ping-pong table unit, as claimed in claim 4, including a cross member extending between and rigidly connected to said main support legs adjacent the lower ends thereof.
 6. A Ping-pong table unit, as claimed in claim 1, in which said main support legs are secured to said elongated frame members substantially at the mid-points of the latter. 